August 15th, 2019

Rachel raises a glass to Kurt, giggling in delight as he tries to shy away from her foolish behavior, but she just scoots her chair closer to him, making loud noises. The angry glares of the other customer’s do nothing to detroy the ecstatic mood of one Rachel Barbra Berry.

“A toast,” she announces, “to several years of friendship that others could only dream to achieve.”

Kurt laughs a little louder before giving in and raising his wine glass in participation, “Yes, cheers to a friendship lasting longer than our relationships.”

Rachel smiles back up at him. “Hey, our significant others are just jealous that our bond is unbreakable. We defy normal people and it makes society cry.”

He nods, “Ahh, yes breaking the norms of set traditions; that’s us in a nutshell.”

“Who else would achieve such a daunting task?” Rachel asks in amusement before looking up at Kurt just in time to catch the hint of sadness on his face. “What’s the matter? Am I making you sad about our friendship?”

Kurt all but jumps out of his chair. “Oh god no, no Rachel. I’m sorry I’m not being sad-”

“Then why the face?” She pokes, knowing there’s something Kurt’s dwelling on.

“I’m sorry; it’s not about our friendship. It’s just lately I’ve been feeling like-” he pauses for a few moments, trying to gather the right words before resuming. “Like I’ve put so much time into my life and come up short of just that one thing. Three years ago I hoped to have a child and a husband to come home to to and now I’m like a heartbroken Phantom that’ll never have my angel of music.”

Rachel puts her hand over Kurt’s in comfort. “I know things haven’t gone as planned, but it’s not like it’s too late. There’s plenty of time to find and fulfill your needs.”

“I just want someone to love. To take care of – a child of my own. I just wish I didn’t need some guy who’d get me down to make that possible.”

She leans forward, touching her head to his. “Stranger things have happened.”

--

Kurt is startled awake and the first thing he sees is a green faced Rachel near his bed side table. The sight is frightening and hard to erase from his head. “Rachel, what have I said about creeping into my room without being properly dressed?”

“Entering without proper attire and without a good excuse will be punished immediately,blah,blah,blah, no cheese cake for desert, excreta but I have a good excuse.” Kurt sits up in bed to listen to her with a sigh. The green facial mask is distracting and kind of gives her a monstrous look.

“Ok, you have five minutes to convince me. Go.”

“Last night you got me thinking about having to hold on to someone without having a husband or significant other and I came up with an idea!”

Kurt immediately takes her hands, worried. “Sweetie we’ve talked about this, killing Kevin Bacon will not solve our love problems. That’s just the wine and feelings of being single causing the notion.”

Rachel slaps his hands away, “No, Kurt. This is not Kevin Bacon related. This is us related! Look, you said that you wanted a child to hang onto without an attachment and it got me thinking.What if we made that happen?”

He looks at her at a loss for words. For the first time in his life, Kurt is actually dumbfounded by Rachel. “Ok, I’m sorry, can you explain that one more time? I just heard a bunch of crey-crey come out of your mouth.”

She slaps him again playfully. “It’s not crazy. You and I are single and have nothing else to do with our lives.  We both have a steady income, so we’re covered financially. Who the hell says we need men to make us happy? We’ve been best friends since high school and it’s the happiest I’ve ever been. If we can celebrate that why not have a little rugrat to call our own?”

“Back up a second Rachel,” Kurt says, looking into her eyes deadly serious, “We’re talking about platonic soul mates, making and raising a baby together. In what way is that even practical?

“Why does it have to be?” Rachel pleads loudly. Her voice is rising just a tad more than usual and Kurt knows that she is being completely serious with this plan, which is just as freighting as her face in the green mask she’s currently sporting.  “We agreed last night, we break all conventions of normality. Why is this any different?”

He remains silent. He knows she’s right but he can’t think of anything to say. They’re talking about raising a kid together. A kid that would be half Kurt and half Rachel and a hundred percent theirs. The idea itself is overwhelming and not something he thought he’d have to consider.

“Come on, don’t tell me you never thought of us taking care of a little Patty or Patrick together as parents. Watching he or she grow up to be a great adult and having that feeling of accomplishment in knowing that your life is complete because you’ve done right by them?”

Kurt shrugs, looking away. “To be honest, I haven’t ever thought about it.”

“Because you can’t see yourself raising a child with me?”

“No.” Kurt turns back to face her. “Of course not. No, it’s just I always thought when I’d actually come to make the decision, I’d have a husband to share it with. That’s all.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to have a friend you can depend on to share it with?”

Kurt can’t help but get lost in Rachel’s bright brown eyes, slowly starting to entertain the idea despite its insanity. They were single  best friends that would be able to handle anything. Why should a kid be any different? Kurt decides to do what he promised himself the moment he was abandoned at the altar – he lives in the moment and lets the chips fall where they may.

“You’re right, Rachel. As crazy as the idea is, you’re right. If we can’t find love then let’s just skip the damn step and get to the good part already.”

He’s suddenly greeted with loud happy squeals and a giant hug that throws him off balance. They’re both smiling big smiles and Kurt hasn’t felt this happy in a long time. Knowing that Rachel is ecstatic makes it even better.

Kurt pulls back a little from Rachel’s impromptu hug. “I do have one condition though.”

“And what is that?” Rachel says, her face in his shoulder.

“They get to be who they want to be with no help from us. If they want to be laywers or doctors or something not relating to fame we have to accept it, okay?”

Rachel just pouts, “Fine. I will accept that but I’ll have you know you’re denying me my chance to be like those bitchy women from Dance Moms.”

“Ok, let’s just bask in excitement for now,” Kurt suggests before embracing her tightly.

He lets himself be happy for once.

--

Rachel wanders in nervously, taking a seat on the couch next to Kurt. Her hands are cautiously placed in her lap and she’s feeling uncertain how to talk about her recent concerns. So she does what Berry’s do best; talk until things make sense.

“I know we’re positive that we want this child, but I was just wondering-“

Kurt lights up as if he knows exactly what Rachel is thinking. “How exactly we’re going to make this baby?”

“Yes!” Rachel exclaims. “Oh, thank goodness! I thought I was the only one thinking about it.”

“Oh God no. I’ve been curious about it myself. I know we want this to be special but I think with our abnormal predicament we should opt for the reasonable solution. I mean if that’s ok? I heard that Vitro Fertilization isn’t a bad idea for couples like us.”

Rachel reaches up to hug Kurt again, “Yeah I was reading about that too, and it seems convinent besides I respect you too much to debauch you.”

Kurt just sighs in relief. “Very funny, Berry. I’ll let that one slide since you’re going to be the mother of my child and I’ll have you know I’ve been debauched plenty!”

--

“Finally! What took you two so long?”

Kurt slid in at the table across from Sebastian as he pulled off his jacket, Sugar taking the seat to his right. Rachel looks at him expectantly, her fingers strumming against the table in the process.

“I have deadlines to meet, you know,” Kurt quipped back, smirking at his best friend.

“I always tell him to force overtime on those lazy employees he has down in advertising, but no. Sugar smiled as she motioned to the waiter, ignoring the pointed look of her boss. “I need a drink.”

“If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself,” Kurt announced to the table. Couldn’t afford any screw ups on behalf of the magazine he’d worked desperately hard to bring back from the dumps. Besides Rachel, work was the only thing that gave him some sort of completion after Blaine left him.

“Yeah, okay. Sebastian nodded, showing how disinterested he was. “Are we here to enjoy ourselves or babble on about work? I hate all of my students and right now I want to get drunk.”

Rachel shook her head, looking a bit exhausted from her day as well. “He hates his students. His students love him. Mine, on the other hand, are nothing but ungrateful, uninspired imbeciles who believe that everything should be handed to them. Is it too much to expect a student with equal amounts of talent and drive?”

Sugar gave Kurt an exasperated look and they both laughed. Rachel expected her students to be a younger version of herself. There was only one Rachel Barbra Berry, and there would only be one.

“Take it easy on them, maybe?” Kurt suggested, patting her hand. “I mean most of them are taking your course as an elective…”

“Hey guys! My name is Lark and I will be your server for this evening.”

The four of them looked up to see the server standing there, his attentions primarily focused on Kurt. Sebastian gave Sugar a look and they both nodded, turning back to waiter. Rachel only observed closely.

“Hi Lark,” Sugar flipped her hair and smiled at the tall, dark brunette, who held a pen and pad in hand. “You’re just in time. We were all just saying how bad we need a little alcohol after our hectic day.”

“Well I aim to please,” the man replied, green eyes glistening as he switched focus from Sugar to Kurt. “How can I be of service to you all?”

Kurt clears his throat and finally looks down at the menu in front of him, making sure not to send any mixed messages to this guy. It’s quite obvious he is staring at this point. Sebastian, however, didn’t seem to think that was smart on his friend’s behalf.

“Our friend Kurt here is really stressed as of late, Lark. He could use a Wild Sex, heavy on the rum-”

“Sebastian!” Rachel and Kurt shout at the same time. Sebastian only continues to stare at the waiter who smiles

 “As for myself, a Smirnoff Ice. The ladies usually go for margaritas.”

Sugar nods her agreement, smiling at Lark as well, “Yep. We’ll take white peach margaritas.”

Lark nods, taking note and glancing back at Kurt. The man had his head turned away; looking over to the bar in a way the waiter assumed was to avoid eye contact with him. He smiled anyway and motioned towards the bar himself, “I’ll be right back with your things, guys… and hopefully to alleviate the stress of Kurt, your drink’ll be on the house.” Kurt turns back at the mention of his name and was met with a radiant smile and wink, all before the man walked off.

“Hot.” Sugar said.

“Super-hot,” Sebastian agreed. He turned to Kurt with a blatant stare. “If you don’t end up taking him home tonight I’m never speaking to you again.”

Kurt smiled and sat back, looking at Rachel. “Why do we hang out with these two again?”

“Bas and I just don’t understand the big deal, Kurt. It’s been three years… don’t you think you can enjoy life again?”

Kurt scoffed and Rachel spoke up, cutting him off. “He is enjoying life. Don’t you all think he’s happy with us?”

“I think he’d be happier lying underneath Lark tonight,” Sebastian nudged Kurt under the table with his foot, garnering the man’s attention. “Let’s be honest here, he was clearly interested and you clearly need to get past-”

 “I am past it.”

“Are you?” Sebastian continued, leaning in closer. “When’s the last time you had a date? Have you ever been with someone besides Blaine? Three. Fucking. Years. It’s time you got past that.”

Getting past wasn’t going to be so easy. Not when the love of his life left him standing in front of a crowd of their closest friends and families; loved ones traveling from all over the country just to see Kurt get humiliated and ashamed. Not when he didn’t even get a goodbye, not to mention an explanation, from the person he’d been in love with for years. The one who said he loved Kurt back. It wasn’t easy at all.

“I will one day, but tonight I can’t. Please respect that and stop offering me to random people. Both of you.” Kurt looked from Sebastian to Sugar, making sure to get his point across. Of course, Sebastian didn’t look convinced, and Sugar looked like she’d been cooking up ways to give Lark his number, but at least there was Rachel. Rachel understood how hard it’d been, and never pressured him to go looking for love.

The drinks arrived after a little more small talk, a little more of Sebastian staking out guys to take to the bathroom for a few minutes of fun, and a little more of Lark sending flirty glances along with a couple more free drinks for Kurt. Kurt negated the third free drink, though Sugar gladly accepted it. After their conversations, and after the day in general, all Kurt could think about was how different it’d be if he had Blaine to go home to. Their time together in the past was always picture perfect. The feel of Blaine’s lips, the way he shivered when Kurt touched him… it was perfect.

“Tell me you love me.”

Kurt laughed until his cheeks were a rosy color, not fighting when Blaine pulled him closer to where he lay on the bed. “I told you 7 times in the last 3 minutes, sweetie.”

Blaine hummed softly, stroking the smooth skin of his fiancé’s midriff, smiling into his neck. “Tell me again.”

“I love you, Blaine Anderson.” Kurt said softly and sincerely, his heart over the moon. He brought a hand up to run through Blaine’s hair and smiled when the man relaxed, looking up to connect their lips.

“I can’t wait to marry you, Kurt.” Blaine told him. “I can’t wait for you to be my husband. It’s all I can think about.”

Kurt was lost in a deep amber color that he often referred to as home, staring into the beautiful eyes across from him. “I can’t wait either. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

Blaine smiled, rolling them over until he was on top of Kurt. They both laughed at how the covers tangled between their legs before Blaine leaned down and kissed his fiancé. In that moment, Kurt knew he could do this for the rest of his life.

It seems life wasn’t letting heal like Kurt hoped to. He knows there was probably someone else out there for him but until then he had to wait and the baby was something more substantial to hang on to.

“Well I don’t think Rachel and I are going to be dating for a while,” Kurt smirks staring at Rachel. “We have some news for you guys.”

They’re greeted with blank looks and Kurt just knew this was going to be a long night. Sebastian and Sugar always had very loud opinions whenever Kurt and Rachel decided on something this important, so they were in for an array of curses from the two, no doubt.